• Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd., of Basel, Switzerland, exercised its co-promotion option on ceftobiprole, its investigational cephalosporin antibiotic, in North America and major European countries with Cilag GmbH International, an affiliate of Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, N.J. Basilea will participate in the anticipated launch and promotion of the drug for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus areus in those markets. In the nearer term, top-line results of a second Phase III study in skin infections are expected in the first half of next year.

• BioCurex Inc., of Richmond, British Columbia, has signed a collaboration agreement with the Blokhin Cancer Research Center in Moscow for further development and evaluation of its RECAF technology. The collaboration is centered on the use of the RECAF marker for cancer screening, diagnosis and follow-up of treated patients using serums samples. The Blokhin Cancer Research Center is part of the American-Russian Cancer Alliance.

• GenPat77 Pharmacogenetics AG, of Berlin, acquired worldwide rights to an advanced investigational cancer therapy, GP7.1, from Charite University of Medicine in Berlin. GP7.1 previously was tested in a pilot clinical study in patients with neuroblastoma, and produced substantially reduced adverse reactions compared with existing treatments. GenPat77 secured a GMP manufacturing source and assembled a group of investors in preparation of initiating the first clinical trial. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• Immunicon Corp., of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., entered a research agreement on biomarker development for certain proteins and their modifications associated with molecular targeted agents with Eisai Co. Ltd., of Tokyo. Such discoveries could help identify patients that may benefit from targeted therapies or monitor treatment efficacy, though no disease areas were specified.

• Medarex Inc., of Princeton, N.J., said the FDA granted fast-track designation for ipilimumab, also known as MDX- 010, used in combination with chemotherapy (dacarbazine) in previously untreated metastatic melanoma patients, and when used as a monotherapy in second-line patients.

• PanGenetics BV, of Utrecht, the Netherlands, has entered a collaboration with Lay Line Genomics SpA, of Rome, to explore therapeutic antibodies for pain. Lay Line Genomics has granted PanGenetics exclusive rights to Hu-alphaD11, a humanized antibody against nerve growth factor that has shown effects in animal models of inflammatory and chronic pain. The collaboration will focus on preparing Hu-alphaD11 for human trials by 2008.

• ThromboGenics NV, of Leuven, Belgium, out-licensed certain rights to THR-100, a new variant of recombinant staphylokinase, to Bharat Biotech International Ltd., of Hyderabad, India, for the Phase II product's manufacture, clinical development and commercialization in developing countries and certain industrialized countries. More specifically, with input from ThromboGenics, Bharat Biotech will be responsible for developing the thrombolytic agent's commercial manufacturing process, implementing a clinical development plan for Phase III trials and gaining approval to commercialize THR-100, initially in India. Bharat Biotech will assume responsibility for all these future costs. In return, ThromboGenics will earn double-digit royalties on net sales.